Sometimes it can be just a matter of timing.

Nets principal owner Mikhail Prokhorov flew to New Jersey to attend Russian Culture Night and dropped a bombshell on his team and the NBA, instructing management to pull out of the talks for Carmelo Anthony.

For the Nets, the Jazz coming to town with Russian Andrei Kirilenko couldn't have come at a better time. Prokhorov might not have delivered that same message from his desk in Moscow or while he was heli-skiing somewhere or space jumping or crocodile wrestling or whatever he does for fun.

There are more than four weeks to go until the trade deadline, so we’ll wait and see if Prokhorov’s words hold water. But his words definitely lifted a tremendous weight off of a locker room that was feeling the tension and stress of not knowing where they would play tomorrow and not feeling wanted by the Nets.

After Prokhorov spoke, you could feel the collective sigh of relief breathed by the Nets, and it has led to some of their most inspired ball of the season. The timing was perfect, as the announcement coincided with the Nets coming home from a tough four-game West Coast trip on a six-game losing streak. The Nets fought hard, but you could see that they were a little dazed and confused by all the reports that a huge three-team deal was imminent.

Good timing has benefited the Nets at other times this season, like in December when a time management issue led to a good trade. The Nets acquired Sasha Vujacic when they grew tired of Terrence Williams’ tardiness and excuses. Then, the game before Vujacic was eligible to make his debut, starting shooting guard Anthony Morrow injured his hamstring. The Nets were fortunate to have Vujacic to step in and help ease some of the pain of Morrow’s loss, providing a spark and hitting big shots off the bench.

But while Vujacic was a solid acquisition, the Nets definitely missed Morrow, easily their best pickup in the offseason. Now Morrow is back and showing what the Nets missed when he was sitting for 17 games. In the three games since Morrow's return, the sharpshooter has made big shots and has helped spread the floor for Brook Lopez, who made the game-winner last night against the Cavaliers and has put up some gaudy yet long-overdue numbers lately. The Nets may not have beaten the Pistons last week if not for Morrow, and they definitely wouldn't have beat the Cavs.

Avery Johnson referred to Morrow as the team's Mariano Rivera, brought in to close the game. Morrow did that with 10 points in the fourth quarter Monday, including a tough running bankshot that put the Nets up with three with 13.2 seconds left. He also scored 10 straight points over the third and fourth quarters to help the Nets beat the Pistons in his return Friday.

If Morrow could have knocked down a couple of shots last Saturday, the Nets may have beaten the Mavericks instead of losing by one, and the Nets might be taking a four-game winning streak into tomorrow’s homestand-closing contest against the Grizzlies. Either way, 3-1 looks good for a team that had won just three of their previous 14 games.

Devin Harris was probably the Net most affected by all the trade talk. He’ll never admit it, but it’s true. Since Prokhorov spoke up, Harris has regained focus and elevated his play. As much as the Nets have benefited from the lift Morrow has provided and from Lopez scoring at least 20 in six of the last seven games, Harris has been the catalyst, running the team, making big defensive plays and just playing with a much-needed sense of urgency. You can say he screwed up the final play against the Mavericks, but overall on this homestand, he’s been terrific. Monday night, he had 14 points, 10 assists and no turnovers. Against the Mavericks, he had 15, 10 and one. The last three games he has 30 assists and three turnovers, a few critical drawn charges and five steals.

None of this means Harris or any of the Nets are safe with a little more than four weeks remaining until the trade deadline. But maybe the timing will be right for the Nets then, too.

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Follow me on Twitter: @Al_Iannazzone

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Al Iannazzone covers the Nets for The Record (Bergen County, N.J.)